Drapery supporting and pleating apparatus



May 2l, 1963 T. A. STUBBLEFIELD 3,090,431

DRAPERY SUPPORTING AND PLEATING APPARATUS Filed March 29, 1961 IMI FIG. I

FIG. 6

ATTORNEY nit'ed States dee 3,090,431 DRAPERY SUPPRTING AND PLEATING APPARATUS Themas A. Stubbleiield, Vista, Calif., assigner of one-third to James F. Brooks, Garden Grove, and of one-third to John H. Hancock, Anaheim, Calif.

Filed Mar. 29, 1961, Ser. No. 99,112 4 Claims. (Cl. 1611-345) This invention relates to a drapery supporting and pleating apparatus, including `a combination glide and pin device employed in combination with both a track and an undulant spring which is threaded through the hem or heading of the drapery.

An object of the invention is to provide a drapery supporting and pleating apparatus which may be assembled without the necessity for threading the glide or shoe portion of the apparatus into one end of the track, and also without the necessity for bending or snapping portions of the glide in order to assemble the same with the track.

A further object is to provide a drapery supporting and pleating apparatus which is readily assembled and which will support heavy draperies.

A further object is to provide a combination glide and and pin which may be operated in a highly simple manner to secure the same to an undulant spring, and to associate the same with a ceiling track.

A further object is to provide a combination glide and pin which is highly simple and economical to manufacture and assemble, and which is adapted to be readily associated with an undulant spring in such manner that there is no substantial possibility of accidental disassembly.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully set forth in the following specification and claims, considered in connection with the attached drawing to which they relate.

In the drawing:

FIGURE l is a perspective view showing the drapery supporting and pleating apparatus as associated with a pair of drapes;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken transversely of the ceiling track and illustrating the combination glide and pin as employed in hanging the undulant spring from the ceiling track;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view illustrating the manner of assembling the combination glide and pin the undulant spring and with the drapery;

FIGURE 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view schematically indicating the manner of inserting the upper shoe portion of a glide in the ceiling track, showings of the undulant spring and drapery being omitted for purposes of simplicity of illustration; and

FIGURE 6 is a horizontal sectional View taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE l and illustrating several positions of the undulant spring and associated glides.

Referring to the drawing, the elements of the drapery supporting and pleating apparatus are illustrated to comprise a track 10, an undulant spring 11 `for the hem or header 12 of the drapery 13, and a combination glide and pin 14 adapted to associated the spring 11 with track 10.

The track is shown as a conventional ceiling track formed of sheet metal and generally oblong in crosssectional shape, having a gap 16 which is dened by opposed lower edge portions 17 of the track. As illustrated in FIGURE 2, the track is suitably incorporated in the ceiling 18 by means of screws 19.

The undulant spring 11 may also be of conventional contruction, comprising an elongated strip of spring metal.

The free shape of spring 11 is illustrated in solid lines in FIGURE 6, this being the shape assumed when the draperies are open as illustrated in FIGURE 1. To close the draperies, the spring 11 is tensioned, for example to the dashed-line position shown in FIGURE 6, such tensioned position being maintained by a suitable rope and locking apparatus in conventional manner. Since the spring 11 is threaded through the hem or heading 112 of drapery 13, and since the spring maintains its undulant shape at all times, it follows that a pleated condition is continuously achieved.

Referring again to the solid-line showing of FIGURE 6, it will been seen that the undulations of the spring are highly pronounced, the spring sections on opposite sides of the center axis being substantial portions of circles. Provided through the spring along its center axis are holes 21 adapted to receive pin portions of the combination glide and pin elements 14 next to be described.

Each combination glide and pin element 14 comprises a relatively thin flat body 22 having a dependent leg 23 at only one edge thereof. Formed at the lower end of leg 23, and extending beneath the remaining edge of the body, is a horizontal pin seat 24. A detent button 26 is provided at the free end of pin seat 24 and aids in preventing lateral shifting in the pin seat of pin portion to be described below.

The center part of body 22 has two openings or vertical slots -formed therethrough, namely above and below a rounded and horizontally-extending fulcrum portion indicated at 27. The lower end of the lower opening is defined by a bearing portion 28 of the body, such bearing portion being separated from the horizontal pin seat 24 by a substantial gap or notch which is indicated at 29.

Formed at the upper end of body 22 is a lower shoe 31 having a vertical pin-stop surface 32 which is generally parallel to such body but is offset therefrom. The lower shoe is so wide that it may not be inserted through gap `16 in track 10. A11 upper shoe 33 is provided above lower shoe 31 in spaced parallel relationship, being associated therewith by means of a relatively small connector portion 34.

The upper shoe is suiiiciently narrow to be inserted through the gap 16 in track 10 when the shoe is arranged parallel to such gap. On the other hand, the upper shoe is sufficiently long that end portions thereof will be disposed above and rest on the edge portions 17 of the track even when such upper shoe is oblique to the gap as indicated in solid lines in FIGURE 6i.

The combination glide and pin element 14 further cornprises a pin 36 formed of spring metal and having a rounded center portion 37 adapted to snap over the fulcrum 27 described above. Formed beneath center portion 37 is a relatively long lever portion 38 adapted toy be snapped over detent 26 into the pin seat 24.

`O11 the other side of the rounded center portion 37, the pin is shaped as a generally U-shaped spring and draperyreceiving portion 39Vthe upper end 41 of which extends upwardly for bearing engagement with the pin-stop surface 32 of lower shoe 31. The U-shaped portion 39' is suiiiciently thin or narrow that, after insertion of its end 41 through several layers of drapery and also through the hole 21 in the undulant spring, the spring and drapery will be relatively tightly secured. The result is that there may be relatively little play or movement between the body 22 and the undulant spring, to thus main-tain the upper shoe 33 in a desired angular relationship relative to such undulant spring. n

It is a feature of the invention that the body 22 and connected elements may be formed integral of nylon or other suitable plastic. It is then an extremely simple matter to merely spring or snapthe pin 36 over the fulcrum portion 27 during assembly of the combination glide and pin element.

o Operation To assemble the combination glide and pin element '14, it is merely necessary to insert the lever portion 3S of pin 36 through the upper opening in body 22, above fulcrum lportion Z7 thereof, until lthe rounded portion 37 of the pin 1s next to the fulcrum. The rounded portion is then snapped downwardly over the fulcrum.

To insert the pin 36 through holes 21 in spring 11, and also through the leyers of fabric through which the spring 1s threaded, it is merely necessary to shift the pin to the position shown in FIGURE 3 and then force the pin end 41'th`rough the fabric andthe hole, as illustrated.

it 1s then merely necessary to grasp the lever portion 38 of the pin and move it downwardly to the position shown in yFIGURE 4 and also in FIGURES 2 and 5. Such downward movement of lever portion 38` causes upward movement of the U-shaped pin portion 39 until the pin end 41 presses against stop surface 32. Continued downward (and inward) movement of lever portion 38 causes ilexlng of such lever portion due to bearing engagement between it and the bearing portion 28, as best illustrated m FIGURE 4. The iiexed lever portion is shifted laterally around 4the detent `button 26 and is seated in the pin seat 24.

The above highly simple construction results in numerous advantages. The undulant spring 11 and associated fabric are rigidly locked in the U-shaped pin portion 39, it being impossible for the spring and fabric to jump out of 'such U-shaped portion because the upper pin Vend 411 4presses against surface 32. Furthermore, the close grip- 'ping of the spring and header, effected by the pin portion 39 and by the body 22, causes upper shoe 33' to remain relatively xed in angular position in relation to the spring 11.

'The flexing of the lever portion 38 of the pin, in comblnation with the detent 26, insure that the pin will not be accidently freed to release the U-shaped pin portion 39 and thus the spring and drapery. The weight of the spring and lthe drapery operate through pin portion 39 to maintain the rounded pin portion 37 engaged with fulcrum 27, So that the pin will not accidently snap otf the fulcrum.

After all of the combination pin and glide elements 14 have been assembled with the undulant spring 11 and the drapery 13, as described, it is an extremely simple matter Ito mount the upper shoes 33 in the track 10 without threading the shoes into the end of the track. This is accomplished by grasping the spring 11 (through hem 12) and ilexing an individual portion of the spring until the nearest glide is turned to a position (left par-t of FIGURE at which its upper shoe 33 is parallel to the gap 16. The upper shoe -is then inserted upwardly through the gap,

,and the spring is released. Such release permits the spring to turn the upper shoe 33 to the position shown in solid lines in FIGURE 6, at which downward movement of the upper shoe 33 through the gap 16 is prevented.

The described action is repeated for each of the combination pin and glide elements 14, until all are supported by the track. The lower shoes 31 operate, in each instance, to prevent excessive vertical movement of the associated upper shoes.

It is emphasized that it is the spring 11, in combination with the pin and glide elements 14 which limit play between the upper shoes 33 and the spring, which prevent the upper shoes 33 4from turning to positions at which they will drop through gap 16. As shown in dashed lines in FIGURE 6, closing of the drapes has the effect of turning the upper shoes 33 to positions more perpendicular to gap 16, there being no possibility that closing of the drapes will cause the upper shoes lto drop through the gap.

Various embodiments of the present invention, in addition to what has been illustrated and described in detail, may be employed without departing from the scope of the accompanying claims.

I cla-im:

1. A combination glide and pint element for draperies,

which comprises a plastic body having a fulcrurn portion and also having a dependent portion, pin-seat means provided on said dependent portion in spaced relationship from said fulcrum portion, said pin-seat means extending laterally from said dependent portion, glide means provided on said body above said fulcrum portion to slidingly support said body from a drapery track, a resilient pin pivotally mounted on said fulcrum portion, said pin having a ijrst portion adapted to be supportingly connected to a drapery, said pin also having a second portion adapted to pivot freely on one side of said pin-seat means, and means on said body to prevent movement of said second pin portion to the other side of said pin-seat means except upon exing of said second pin portion around the distal end of said pin-seat means, whereby said second pin por tion is resiliently maintained in locked condition on said other side of said pin-seat means.

2. The invention as claimed in claim l, wherein a detent protrusion is provided at said distal end of said pinseat means.

3. A drapery-supporting assembly, which comprises: lan elongated undulant spring disposed in a horizontal plane and adapted to be mounted along the upper hem of la drapery to cause said drapery to assume a corresponding undulant shape; an elongated drapery track having two opposed track portions separated by a gap of predetermined width, said track portions and said gap being disposed generally in a horizontal plane and above said spring; a plurality of glide and connector means mounted at spaced points along said spring to slidingly support the undulations of said spring from said track as said spring is extended and shortened during opening and closing of the drapery, each of said glide and connector means including an elongated shoe the width of which in a horizontal plane is less than said predetermined gap width whereby said shoes may be passed upwardly and downwardly through said gap when in positions in substantial alignment therewith, the length of each of said shoes in a horizontal plane being substantially greater than said predetermined gap width whereby the end portions of said shoes will remain slidingly supported on said opposed track portions when said shoes are in various positions substantially transverse to said gap, said shoes being diposed substantially transverse to said gap in supported relationship on said opposed track portions, each of said glide and connector means further including `a connector portion connected with said shoe intermediate said end portions thereof, the connection between said connector portion and said shoe being Iadapted to prevent rotation of said connector portion relative to said shoe about a generally vertical axis, said connector portion extendingwdownwardly through said gap and being suiiiciently small in horizontal dimension that said shoe may rotate about a vertical axis between said position in substantial alignment with said gap and said positions substantially transverse 4thereto without efliecting spreading apart Vof said opposed track portions, each of said glide and connector means further including means to connect said connector portion to said spring and to prevent substantial rotation of said connector portion relative to said spring about a generally vertical axis, said last-named means being so related to said connector portion, to said shoe and to said spring that said shoe will remain in said positions substantially transverse -to said -track despite movement of the undulations of said spring during normal extending and shortening of said spring to open and close the drapery; each of said glide and connector means and the associated undulation lof said spring being adapted to be manually twisted about a vertical axis to bring the associated shoe into substantial alignment with said gap for passing of said shoe through said gap during assembly 5 or disassembly of said glide and connector means with said track.

4. The invention as claimed in claim 3, in which one 0f said glide and connector means is connected to each side of each undulation of said spring along the axis of said spring, 4and in Iwhich said spring is a at metal strip the minor dimension of which is disposed in a vertical plane.

6 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 529,3 66 Crampton NOV. 20, `1894 2,848,734 Ault Aug. 26, 1958 2,901,037 Yohner etal Aug. 25, 1959 2,986,768 Perlmutter June 6, 19611 

1. A COMBINATION GLIDE AND PIN ELEMENT FOR DRAPERIES, WHICH COMPRISES A PLASTIC BODY HAVING A FULCRUM PORTION AND ALSO HAVING A DEPENDENT PORTION, PIN-SEAT MEANS PROVIDED ON SAID DEPENDENT PORTION IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP FROM SAID FULCRUM PORTION, SAID PIN-SEAT MEANS EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM SAID DEPENDENT PORTION, GLIDE MEANS PROVIDED ON SAID BODY ABOVE SAID FULCRUM PORTION TO SLIDINGLY SUPPORT SAID BODY FROM A DRAPERY TRACK, A RESILIENT PIN PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID FULCRUM PORTION, SAID PIN HAVING A FIRST PORTION ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTINGLY CONNECTED 